A motorcycle bomb struck a crowd watching a dog fight Friday in southern Afghanistan, killing at least three people and wounding more than two dozen others. The blast on the outskirts of Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand province, came as US Marines and their Nato and Afghan allies are poised to launch a major offensive against the Taliban in the area.
The explosives-packed motorcycle was parked near the dog fight, according to deputy provincial police chief Kamal Uddin. Health Department director Dr Inayat Ullah Ghafari confirmed the casualty toll, saying seven children were among the 26 wounded.